Apparatus for automatically insuring periodic operation of stationary fire-pumps.



No. 630,860. Patented Aug. I5, I899.

-J. H. CLARK &. W. E. OUIMBY. APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY INSURING PERIODIC OPERATION OF STATIONARY F I R E P U I P S (Application filed Apr. 20, 1899.)

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No. 630,860. PatentedvAug. |5., I899. .1. H. CLARK & w. E. OUIMBY. APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY INSURING PERIODIC OPERATION OF STATIONARY FIRE PUMPS.

(Application filed Apr. 20, 1899.)

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No. 630,860. Patented Aug. l5, I899. J. H. CLARK & w. E. numBY. APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY INSURING PERIODIC OPERATION OF STATIONARY FIRE PUMPS.

(Application filed Apr. 20 1899.) (No Model.) heets8heet 3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. CLARK, OE SOHENEOTADY, NETV YORK, AND W'ILLIAM OF ORANGE: NEW JERSEY.

E. QUIMBY,

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY lNSURlNG PERIODIC OPERATION OF STATIONARY FlRE-PUMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.- 630,860, dated August 15, 1899.

Application filed April 20,1899- Serial No. 713,726. (No model.)

To CL whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN H. CLARK, of Schenectady, New York, and WILLIAM E. QUIMBY, of Orange, New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Insuring the Periodic Operation of Stationary Fire-Pumps, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to automatically effect the periodic operation of pumps employed in connection with stationary fireextinguishing apparatus, and thereby meet the underwriters requirement that such pumps shall be run at least once during prescribed successive periods of time for the purpose of testing their condition. A usual appurtenance of stationary fire-extinguishing apparatus is a so-called pressure-tank, in whicha body of wateris intended to be maintained under prescribed high pressure by means of a pump which can be employed to force water into said tank when required. The pumps employed for this purpose are in some instances steam-pumps, in which event steam is the prime mover and in other instances electrically-driven pumps, in which event electricity is, for the purposes of the present case, to be regarded as the prime mover. The control of the prime mover to operate the steam-pump requires the use of a valve for establishing or destroying the continuity of the steam-supply passage,and similarly the control of the prime mover to operate the electrically-driven pump requires the use of a switch for establishing or destroying the continuity of the electric-supply circuit. The lever or othersuitable instrumentality for operating such valve or such switch, as the case may be, is herein designated by the term controllerj inasmuch as such valves or switches are the perfect equivalents of each other in respect of their performance of the function of supplying or shutting off the supply of the prime mover for driving the pumps in connection with which they are respectively employed.

The present invention consists of a pressure-tank for containing airand water under prescribed 'high pressure, with a leak-outlet for insuring the constant escape of water therefrom, and hence a prescribed reduction of pressure in said tank within a predetermined period of time; apump for forcing, water into said pressure-tank, and thereby when required'restoring the said prescribed high pressure therein; a controller for controlling the supply of a prime mover to drive said pump, and connections between said controller and said pressure-tank for making the operative movements of said controller resultant upon difierent conditions of pressure in said pressure-tank,whereby the prime mover to drive the pumpis caused to be supplied by the appropriate actuation of the'controller at regular intervals of time each corresponding to the said predetermined period of time occupied in effecting the said prescribed reduction of pressure in the pressuretank and whereby the supply of the said prime mover is caused to be shut off by another actuation of the controller concurrent with the restoration of the said prescribed high pressure in the pressure-tank resulting from the operation of the pump.

It is a common expedient to combine electric switches with pressure-tanks which are constantly being drawn uponas, for example, the pressure tanks employed for hydraulic elevators and also those employed for water service in buildingsand to make the operation of such switches dependent upon variations of pressure in the pressure-tanks; but the pressure-tanks employed in connection with fire-extinguishing apparatus are not subject to be drawn upon except in case of fire. Hence the importance of the underwriters requirement that the pumps for forcing water under pressure into such tanks shall be from time to time set in operation for the purpose of testing their condition.

It will therefore be understood that the principal novel feature of the present invention consists in the equipment of the pressuretank with a leak-outlet, by means of which the pressure in the pressure-tank is periodically lowered from its normal high point to the point at which the pump will be automatically started into operation for restoring the normal pressure.

The present invention also includes theprovision of an adjustable valve or petcock for regulating the area of the leak-outlet for the purpose of varying the duration of the period required to lower the pressure to the point at which the pump will be automatically .ll'nited States No. 529,837, dated November 27, 1894, granted to W. E. Quimby, also showing the pump directly connected with an electric motor and showing a controller in the form of an electric switch for controlling the supply of the prime mover to actuate the motor, the said switch and the switch-operating mechanism shown being of familiar form. Fig. 2 is a similar'elevation, but showing a steam-pump for charging the pressure-tank, with a controller in the form of a valve in the steam-service pipe, with valve-actuating mechanism of the same character as that of the switch-operating mechanism. Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, showing, on a scale three times larger than that of Figs. 1 and 2, details of construction of the controlleractuating mechanism and showing the controller in the form of a cone-valve in the steam-service pipe. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the cone-valve, taken through the horizontal plane indicated by the dotted line at a: on Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 isa longitudinal section of the cone-valve, taken on a vertical plane, Figs. 4 and 5 being drawn on a scale three times larger than that employed in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is an end elevation of a portion of the pressure-tank, showing the petcock with pointer and graduated scale.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the apparatus embraces a pump A, which may either be an electrically-driven pump, as

' illustrated in Fig. l, or a steam-pump, as

illustrated in Fig. 2.

The eduction-pipe A of the pump is connected to a pressure-tank B, in which there is contained a body of water 0 beneath a body of air D, maintainedunder prescribed pressure by means of the pump. The dischargepipe E from the pressure-tank is for connection with the system of distributing-pipes employed in stationary fire-extinguishing apparatus, which pipes are usually provided with appropriately-arranged openings closed by fusible closing devices.

A leak-pipe a is connected with the pressure-tank, preferably at some distance above the bottom thereof, and is provided with a petcock b, by means of which the rate of leakage from the pressure-tank may be governed. The water leaking from the pressure tank is carried oil? by anysuitable drainpipe such as, for example, the pipe 0.

To facilitate the adjustment of the petcock for the purpose of regulating the rate of leakage, the stem b of the petcock may have aifixed to it a radial pointer 12 and a stationary plate (1, having upon its face a graduated scale cl, formed in the arc of a circle, may be arranged in appropriate proximity to the plane of travel of the pointer b The pressure-tank may also be provided with a pressure-gage e for indicating the fall of pressure due to the leakage. By observing the position of the pointerb with relation to the scale d and noting the period of time required for the existing leakage to reduce the pressure in the tank to a given amount the petcock may be manipulated in either direction, as may be desired, for the purpose of either increasing or diminishing the said period of time.

The supply of the prime mover for operating the pump is governed by a controller the functions of which are to establish the continuity of the passage or circuit, as the case may be, by which the prime mover is supplied to drive the pump whenever the pressure in the pressure-tank fallsto a prescribed extent and to destroy such continuity when by the operation of the pump the normal with the piston'g and is swung upward by.

the downward stroke of the piston g, resulting from the admission of liquid from the pressure-tank through the pipe g into the cylinder 9 Such admission is efiected by the upward movement of the slide-Valve h,

connected by the link h with the weighted lever 71 The slide-valve his kept normally closed by the downward pressure upon the shorter end 72. of the lever 77?, exerted by the piston t' traversing the cylinder 1', which is connected with the pressure-tank by the pipe t When the pressure in the pressure-tank falls to the prescribed extent, the resultant diminution of pressure upon the piston 'i re leases the weighted lever 7L which under the influence of gravity then raises the slidevalve h.

In Fig. l the controllerfand its actuating stationary fire extinguishing apparatus is.

Such tanks are in the oronly called upon in case of emergency, and the testing of the fire-pump by periodically operating it is a manifest necessity. Hence the importance of the present invention of a constantly-open leak-outlet from the pres su re-tank of prescribed capacity in combination with the controller, as set forth.

The controller f may be connected by the link Z With a valve in a steam-service pipe Z for supplying steam to the steam-chest m of a steam-pump m, as represented in Fig. 2 and as shown in detail in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. The link Z is pivot-ally connected to the crank-arm n of an ordinary cone-valve, the cone '0 of which requires rather less than a quarterturn for its full opening and closing movement.

Itis to be understood that the devices shown for actuating the controller do not constitute any part of the present invention, the requirements of which would be met by any form of controller dependent for its actuation upon variations of pressure in the pressuretank and acting, as described, to supply the prime'mover to drive the pump upon a pre scribed reduction of pressure in the pressuretank and to cut off such supply upon the restoration of the normal pressure in the pressure-tank by the operation of the pump;

lVhat is claimed as the invention is- 1. In apparatus for insuring the periodic operation of pumps for forcing Water under pressure into pressure-tanks a pressure-tank for containing air and Water under prescribed high pressure; apump for forcing Water into said pressure-tank; a motor for driving said pump; a controller for controlling the supply of a prime mover for operating said motor; controller-actuating mechanism suitably connected to said pressure-tank and adapted to be governed in its operation by differences of pressure in said pressure-tank, in combination with a leak-outlet from said pressuretank, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In apparatus for insuring the periodic operation of pumps for forcing Water under pressure into pressure-tanks; a pressure-tank for containing air and Water under prescribed high pressure; a pump for forcing Water into said pressure-tank; a motor for driving said pump; a controller for controlling the supply of a prime mover for operating said motor; controller-actuatin g mechanism suitably connected to said pressure-tank and adapted to be governed in its operation by differences of pressure in said pressure-tank, in combination with a leak-outlet from said pressuretank, and means for regulating the rate of leakage through said outlet.

3. A pressure-tank for containing Water and air under pressure; a pump for maintaining a prescribed normal pressure in said tank; a controller for controlling the supply of aprime moverfor driving saidpump; suitable connections between said controller and said pressure-tank for making the operations of said controller dependent upon differences of pressure in said tank, in combination with a constantly-open leakoutlet from said pressure-tank.

4. In apparatus for insuring the periodic operation of stationary fire-pumps; a pressure-tank for containing air and water under pressure; a pump for maintaining a prescribed normal pressure in said tank; a controller for controlling the supply of a prime mover for driving said pump; suitable connections between said controller and said pressure-tank for making the operations of said controller dependent upon differences of pressure in said stationary pressure-tank; a leak-outlet from said pressure-tank; an adjustable cock in said outlet for regulating the rate of leakage through said outlet; a pointer affixed to and partaking of the movement of said cock, and a graduated scale arranged in suitable proximity to the path of movement ofsaid pointer for facilitating the observation of said pointer during the regulation of the leakage from said pressure-tank with reference to adjusting the periodicity of operation of said pump.

' JOHN H. CLARK.

XVILLIAM E. QUIMBY. Witnesses:

THOS. M. BELKNAP, A. M. JoNEs. 

